Playing loads the player from a third party, which may set cookies.
In this episode of YES, BRAND, Hersh Rephun sits down with business storytelling consultant John Elbing, creator of the Storybuilding methodology, for a lively conversation about empathy, narrative, marketing, and why so many companies tell the wrong story.
With a background spanning software engineering, project management, startups, digital marketing, finance, and improv comedy, John brings an unusual blend of analytical thinking and creative intuition to the challenge of brand positioning.
His core belief is simple but often overlooked:
The strongest brand stories are built from the customer’s perspective, not the company’s.
Hersh’s conversation with John explores what happens when organizations become so focused on their products, features, and expertise that they lose sight of the emotions, motivations, and experiences of the people they serve.
They dive into:
- Why empathy is the foundation of effective storytelling
- The connection between improv comedy and marketing
- How businesses can identify the right audience faster
- The difference between storytelling and business storytelling
- Why niche positioning creates stronger brands
- How customers mentally rehearse buying decisions
- Why recognition always comes before persuasion
John also shares insights from his book Storybuilding, including practical ways companies can clarify their messaging, improve conversions, and create stronger customer engagement without resorting to gimmicks or buzzwords.
Funny, thoughtful, and highly practical, this episode is a reminder that great stories don’t start with the company. They start with the audience.
